VoIP systems tend to cost less up front, but more on a monthly basis. This is because you don’t have to buy the “brains” of a VoIP system – it lives in the cloud. VoIP systems can also impact the cost of your internet connection, as you may need more bandwidth to accommodate the extra use. Traditional systems require separate phone service altogether, which has it’s own cost.

For routing calls within an office (transfer, call park, conference, paging) traditional systems have the edge. They were made for these transactions. While some VoIP systems don’t perform these actions quite as tightly, they win in number of features and multi-office connectivity. VoIP handsets can get updated with new features automatically, and will operate the same from anywhere in the world.

Traditional systems are more of a pain to upgrade when your company’s growing. When your system needs more lines or voicemail boxes, hardware expansion can be a surprise expense. A good VoIP provider can deploy these types of changes in the background, and be able to program a phone for a new employee remotely. VoIP wins here.

Support usually comes with your VoIP system and is included into the monthly cost. Many also provide a web portal for someone in your company to make basic changes like password resets. With traditional PBXs, make sure the company installing the hardware is well-reviewed for ongoing support and can deliver on a good monthly support contract.